Cycle propelling mechanism.



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CYCLE PRDPELLING MECHANISM.

(Application tiled Apr. 18, 1801.)

3 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Nudel.)

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y I M3 .it O f 1 No. 685,086. Patented 0ct. 22, I90I.

' G. B. H. AUSTIN.

CYGLE PROPELLING MECHANISM.

(Application Bled Apr. 18, 1901.) y(No Nudel.) Y '3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(nu Model.)

Y y Patented out. 22, lam.` e. B. H. AUSTIN.

CYCLE PROPELLINGMECHANISM.

(Application led Apr. 18, 1901.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

\\ l/ ll gw... @Mggment of the mechanism in accordance with UNrTEDSTATES PATENT FFICE.

GEORGE BROUGHAM HUBERT AUSTIN, OF MALVERN, VICTORIA.

CYCLE PROPELLING MECHANISM.

SPECIFICA TIGN forming part of Letters Patent No. 685,086, dated October22, 1901.

Application iiled April 18, 1901.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE BRO UGHAM HU- BERT AUSTIN, architect, asubject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Tooronga road,Malvern, near Melbourne, in the State of Victoria and Commonwealth ofAustralia, have invented a Cycle Propelling Mechanism, ot' which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to cycle propelling mechanism, and especially tothat class involving the utilization of the varying weight upon thesaddle for the purpose of assisting in propelling the machine. Hithertowith contrivances used for this purpose no provision Was made forregulating the movethe strength of the bump of the rider upon thesaddle, the consequence being that such weight was either brought with asudden jar down upon thedriving mechanism .or else it was too slow toovertake the rotation of the drive-wheel, especially in the :case ofsmall vibrations or bumps. The present invention has been devised inorder to provide a mechanism which will remedy these defects and themain part of which can be mounted in a very small space in or upon thelower bracket.

In order that my invention may be clearly understood, I will describe itby reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is asectional elevation illustrating my improved mechanism for utilizing thebumping of cyclists for assisting in the propulsion of cycles, and Fig.2 is a horizontal section across the upper part of the downtube and seatpillar or support. Fig. 3 is acentral vertical section thereof on line 38, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section, and Fig. 5 a sectional sideelevation, illustrating a modification of my invention, while Fig. 6 isa similar view to Figs. l and 5, illustrating yet another modification.

The saddle is mounted upon a verticallysliding rod, tube, or plunger A,which is titted with a spring B, Whose strength can beadj usted to suitthe weight of the rider. Said plunger can be prevented from rotating andat the same time be strengthened by forming it with a semicircular stripa, Figs. 2 and 3, upon its outer surface and by securing a correspondingstrip ct' to the inner surface of the down-tube G, in which said plungerworks.

serial No. 56,463. NO modem An antifrictin Wheel or roller D may bemounted behind said down-tube C, so as to bear against said plunger A,and thereby reduce the friction thereof against the downtube. Similarrollers D may be mounted upon said plunger at intervals and be arrangedto bear against liners D2 within said down-tube. The lower end of saidplunger A is fitted with an antifriction-roller E, which works within ahorizontal slot f in the upper arm of a bell-crank lever F, Figs. l and5, which is pivotally mounted upon or between a pair of brackets orsides g of a casing G. The lower end of said bell-crank lever F isprovided with another antifriction-roller h, which `works within acurved slot or path 71. in a curved arm H, projecting upwardly from therotary half I of a clutch upon the crankaxle J. Said clutch is bypreference a silent one, fitted with balls or rollers t', arranged towork up inclined surfaces z" in the half I of said clutch, so as tocause them to jam against the other, half I of the clutch when turned inone direction, while allowing them to rotate freely when turned in theother direction.

A flat spring f' may be used to return the bell-crank lever F to itsnormal position, and, if preferred, the ends of the two arms of saidlever can be connected together and thereby strengthened.

In order that the bicycle maybe Wheeled backward when required, thesleeve I', forming the inner half of the clutch, may be divided or besplit radially, as illustrated at t2, Fig. l, so that it is free tospring outward. Its inner surface is roughened, and the correspondingsurface of the axle .I is also roughened, so that when the outer part ofthe clutch is moved forward the balls will jam the split ring around theaxle, and thus communicate motion to this latter. When, however, theclutch is in its released position, the tendency of the split ring willbe to hold the balls in the deep part of theirinclined grooves and willexpand, so as to release theaxle.

The modification illustrated in Fig. 5 is substantially the same as thatshown in Fig. 1, except that the shape of the bell-crank lever F isdiiierent. Both its upper and lower arms are curved, and the slot f inthe former is also curved instead of being straight.

IOO

The mechanism above described is so ar ranged that when the saddle andseat-supportare in their highest position, as indicated in the drawings,the antifriction-roller h on the lower end of the bell-crank lever FWill engage with the end of the curved arm H upon the clutch I, andconsequently the leverage against said bell-crank lever, and thereforeagainst the seat-support, will be small, but will gradually be increasedas the antifriction-roller on the lower end of said bellerank lever ismoved down to'ward the bottom of the curved slot in the arm H upon theclutch.

The bell-crank lever F can be arranged so as to work either through thebottom of the down-tube, as illustrated, or on the outside thereof, inwhich case a pin on the lower end of the sliding seat-support wouldrequire to be provided, so that it projects through a slot or slots inthe side of the down-tube.

In some cases the bell-crank lever might be dispensed with altogether,as illustrated in Fig. 6, the roller E or pin on the lower end of thevertically-sliding seat-support A being arranged to engage directly witha slot h in the curved arm H upon the clutch.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my saidinvention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare thatwhat I claim is- 1. In a cycle propelling mechanism, a tube, asaddle-carrying plunger slidable in said tube and having a projection, aspring coperative with said plunger, a bell-crank lever having a slot toreceive said projection, a driving-axle, a clutch operative with theaxle, an arm for actuating one of the members of the clutch, said armhavinga slot, and a projection on said angle-lever to enter said slot.

2. In a cycle propelling mechanism, a tube, a saddle carrying plungerslidable in said tube,a clu tcli ,an arm for actuating the clutch, saidarm having a curved slot, and an operating member working in said slotand connected with said plunger.

GEORGE BROUGIIAM HUBERT AUS'llil` Witnesses:

WALTER SMYTHE BAYsroN, WILLIAM GUEST HOLDEN.

